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Jun 25, 2010

A List of Windows Services Installed On Windows 7 in Factory State!

Amazon A couple of days ago I got my new Acer laptop with Windows 7 Home Premium on it and I immediately copied down the initial services installed on it because if I start downloading and installing software then this list will get bigger and I'll have no idea what services are important.. I'd like to share them with you

What are Windows Services?
A Window service is a program that is registered with Windows operating system as a service, and can be configured to run automatically at system startup. The service, once runs, can stop or continue running depending on its purpose.

Some services are critical and MUST run while others are merely additional features or functions that you may or may not want. You don't have to worry about accidentally unchecking critical services because when system starts up it'll automatically run critical services. Questions?

You can access your system's services by click Start -> type "msconfig" then enter -> click Services tab. Once you make changes reboot to have them reflected. You don't have to worry about making a mistake because you can always revert your changes later.
Many people want to know what services are essential and what are not so that we can turn off the unimportant ones to make our computers run faster.

List of Initial Services
Below is the list of names, manufacturers, and statuses of services that come with my Acer laptop. I'll also talk about what services you can turn off to speed up your computer.

Service

Manufacturer

Status

Acer ePower Service

Acer Incorporated

Running

ActiveX Installer (AxInstSV)

Microsoft Corporation

Stopped

Adaptive Brightness

Microsoft Corporation

Stopped

Agere Modem Call Progress Audio

LSI Corporation

Running

Application Experience

Microsoft Corporation

Running

Application Identity

Microsoft Corporation

Stopped

Application Layer Gateway Service

Microsoft Corporation

Stopped

Background Intelligent Transfer Service

Microsoft Corporation

Running

Base Filtering Engine

Microsoft Corporation

Running

BitLocker Drive Encryption Service

Microsoft Corporation

Stopped

Block Level Backup Engine Service

Microsoft Corporation

Stopped

Bluetooth Support Service

Microsoft Corporation

Stopped

Certificate Propagation

Microsoft Corporation

Stopped

CNG Key Isolation

Microsoft Corporation

Running

COM+ Event System

Microsoft Corporation

Running

COM+ System Application

Microsoft Corporation

Stopped

Computer Browser

Microsoft Corporation

Running

Credential Manager

Microsoft Corporation

Stopped

Cryptographic Services

Microsoft Corporation

Running

Desktop Window Manager Session Manager

Microsoft Corporation

Running

DHCP Client

Microsoft Corporation

Running

Diagnostic Policy Service

Microsoft Corporation

Running

Diagnostic Service Host

Microsoft Corporation

Running

Diagnostic System Host

Microsoft Corporation

Stopped

Disk Defragmenter

Microsoft Corporation

Stopped

Distributed Link Tracking Client

Microsoft Corporation

Running

Distributed Transaction Coordinator

Microsoft Corporation

Stopped

DNS Client

Microsoft Corporation

Running

Encrypting File System (EFS)

Microsoft Corporation

Stopped

Extensible Authentication Protocol

Microsoft Corporation

Running

Fax

Microsoft Corporation

Stopped

Function Discovery Provider Host

Microsoft Corporation

Running

Function Discovery Resource Publication

Microsoft Corporation

Running

GameConsoleService

WildTangent, Inc.

Stopped

Google Software Updater

Google

Stopped

Google Update Service (gupdate)

Google Inc.

Stopped

GRegService

Acer Incorporated

Running

Group Policy Client

Microsoft Corporation

Running

Health Key and Certificate Management

Microsoft Corporation

Stopped

HomeGroup Listener

Microsoft Corporation

Running

HomeGroup Provider

Microsoft Corporation

Running

Human Interface Device Access

Microsoft Corporation

Stopped

IKE and AuthIP IPsec Keying Modules

Microsoft Corporation

Running

Intel(R) Matrix Storage Event Monitor

Intel Corporation

Running

Interactive Services Detection

Microsoft Corporation

Running

IP Helper

Microsoft Corporation

Running

IPsec Policy Agent

Microsoft Corporation

Stopped

KtmRm for Distributed Transaction Coordinator

Microsoft Corporation

Stopped

Link-Layer Topology Discovery Mapper

Microsoft Corporation

Stopped

McAfee Anti-Spam Service

McAfee, Inc.

Stopped

McAfee Application Installer Cleanup

McAfee, Inc.

Stopped

McAfee Network Agent

McAfee, Inc.

Stopped

McAfee Personal Firewall Service

McAfee, Inc.

Stopped

McAfee Proxy Service

McAfee, Inc.

Stopped

McAfee Real-time Scanner

McAfee, Inc.

Running

McAfee Scanner

McAfee, Inc.

Stopped

McAfee Services

McAfee, Inc.

Stopped

McAfee SiteAdvisor Service

McAfee, Inc.

Stopped

McAfee SystemGuards

McAfee, Inc.

Running

Microsoft .NET Framework NGEN v2.0.50727_X64

Microsoft Corporation

Stopped

Microsoft .NET Framework NGEN v2.0.50727_X86

Microsoft Corporation

Stopped

Microsoft iSCSI Initiator Service

Microsoft Corporation

Stopped

Microsoft Office Diagnostics Service

Microsoft Corporation

Stopped

Microsoft Software Shadow Copy Provider

Microsoft Corporation

Stopped

Multimedia Class Scheduler

Microsoft Corporation

Stopped

Netlogon

Microsoft Corporation

Stopped

Network Access Protection Agent

Microsoft Corporation

Stopped

Network Connections

Microsoft Corporation

Running

Network List Service

Microsoft Corporation

Running

Network Location Awareness

Microsoft Corporation

Running

Network Store Interface Service

Microsoft Corporation

Running

NTI Backup Now 5 Backup Service

NewTech InfoSystem, Inc.

Stopped

NTI Backup Now 5 Scheduler Service

NewTech InfoSystem, Inc.

Running

NTI IScheduleSvc

NewTech InfoSystem, Inc.

Running

Office Source Engine

Microsoft Corporation

Stopped

Parental Controls

Microsoft Corporation

Stopped

Partner Service

Google Inc.

Stopped

Peer Name Resolution Protocol

Microsoft Corporation

Running

Peer Networking Grouping

Microsoft Corporation

Running

Peer Networking Identity Manager

Microsoft Corporation

Running

Performance Counter DLL Host

Microsoft Corporation

Stopped

Performance Logs & Alerts

Microsoft Corporation

Stopped

PnP-X IP Bus Enumerator

Microsoft Corporation

Stopped

PNRP Machine Name Publication Service

Microsoft Corporation

Stopped

Portable Device Enumerator Service

Microsoft Corporation

Stopped

Power

Microsoft Corporation

Running

Print Spooler

Microsoft Corporation

Running

Problem Reports and Solutions Control Panel Support

Microsoft Corporation

Stopped

Program Compatibility Assistant Service

Microsoft Corporation

Running

Protected Storage

Microsoft Corporation

Running

Quality Windows Audio Video Experience

Microsoft Corporation

Stopped

Remote Access Auto Connection Manager

Microsoft Corporation

Stopped

Remote Access Connection Manager

Microsoft Corporation

Stopped

Remote Desktop Configuration

Microsoft Corporation

Stopped

Remote Desktop Services

Microsoft Corporation

Stopped

Remote Procedure Call (RPC) Locator

Microsoft Corporation

Stopped

Remote Registry

Microsoft Corporation

Stopped

RPC Endpoint Mapper

Microsoft Corporation

Running

Secondary Logon

Microsoft Corporation

Stopped

Secure Socket Tunneling Protocol Service

Microsoft Corporation

Stopped

Security Accounts Manager

Microsoft Corporation

Running

Security Center

Microsoft Corporation

Running

Server

Microsoft Corporation

Running

Shell Hardware Detection

Microsoft Corporation

Running

Smart Card

Microsoft Corporation

Stopped

Smart Card Removal Policy

Microsoft Corporation

Stopped

SNMP Trap

Microsoft Corporation

Stopped

SPP Notification Service

Microsoft Corporation

Stopped

SSDP Discovery

Microsoft Corporation

Running

Superfetch

Microsoft Corporation

Running

System Event Notification Service

Microsoft Corporation

Running

Tablet PC Input Service

Microsoft Corporation

Stopped

Task Scheduler

Microsoft Corporation

Running

TCP/IP NetBIOS Helper

Microsoft Corporation

Running

Telephony

Microsoft Corporation

Stopped

Themes

Microsoft Corporation

Running

Thread Ordering Server

Microsoft Corporation

Stopped

TPM Base Services

Microsoft Corporation

Stopped

Updater Service

Acer

Running

UPnP Device Host

Microsoft Corporation

Running

Virtual Disk

Microsoft Corporation

Stopped

Volume Shadow Copy

Microsoft Corporation

Stopped

WebClient

Microsoft Corporation

Stopped

Windows Audio

Microsoft Corporation

Running

Windows Audio Endpoint Builder

Microsoft Corporation

Running

Windows Backup

Microsoft Corporation

Stopped

Windows Biometric Service

Microsoft Corporation

Stopped

Windows CardSpace

Microsoft Corporation

Stopped

Windows Color System

Microsoft Corporation

Stopped

Windows Connect Now - Config Registrar

Microsoft Corporation

Stopped

Windows Defender

Microsoft Corporation

Running

Windows Driver Foundation - User-mode Driver Framework

Microsoft Corporation

Running

Windows Error Reporting Service

Microsoft Corporation

Stopped

Windows Event Collector

Microsoft Corporation

Stopped

Windows Event Log

Microsoft Corporation

Running

Windows Firewall

Microsoft Corporation

Running

Windows Font Cache Service

Microsoft Corporation

Stopped

Windows Image Acquisition (WIA)

Microsoft Corporation

Stopped

Windows Installer

Microsoft Corporation

Stopped

Windows Management Instrumentation

Microsoft Corporation

Running

Windows Media Center Receiver Service

Microsoft Corporation

Stopped

Windows Media Center Scheduler Service

Microsoft Corporation

Stopped

Windows Media Player Network Sharing Service

Microsoft Corporation

Running

Windows Modules Installer

Microsoft Corporation

Stopped

Windows Presentation Foundation Font Cache 3.0.0.0

Microsoft Corporation

Stopped

Windows Remote Management (WS-Management)

Microsoft Corporation

Stopped

Windows Search

Microsoft Corporation

Running

Windows Time

Microsoft Corporation

Running

Windows Update

Microsoft Corporation

Running

WinHTTP Web Proxy Auto-Discovery Service

Microsoft Corporation

Stopped

Wired AutoConfig

Microsoft Corporation

Stopped

WLAN AutoConfig

Microsoft Corporation

Running

WMI Performance Adapter

Microsoft Corporation

Stopped

Workstation

Microsoft Corporation

Running

WWAN AutoConfig

Microsoft Corporation

Stopped

Which Services Can I Turn Off?
In general you wouldn't want to mess with them too much because you might turn off a service of a dependency of one that plays sound from your speakers, browses the Internet, prints document, etc.

A rule of thumb is you shouldn't touch any service provided by Microsoft Corporation. Since I know what I am doing I turn off Microsoft services like Fax, FSService Platform, Windows Biometric Service, Windows Update, etc.
If you are an advanced user you can turn off services that are unimportant judging by their names. In the above list I'd turn off services with McAfee and Google because they are not essential to the operating system. Then I'd turn off services I don't need such as Bluetooth Support Service, Windows Firewall (I use Sygate firewall), Smart Card, Parental Controls, etc.

One way to absolutely know the minimum services you need simply uncheck one service and reboot and test. If you can hear audio, browse the net, etc., then proceed with unchecking the next service. If unchecking one fails the test check it back!Any questions or comments let me know!